While certain dietary restrictions need be taken after most surgical procedures, surgery directly on the large intestine necessitates a specialized diet to help your body and altered digestive system cope. Whether your colon surgery was to correct a life-threatening problem like cancer, or a chronic disease such as Crohn's or colitis, proper post-surgery nutrition is essentially the same.
Colon Surgery Dietary Theory
Understanding the basic theory behind eating after colon surgery will help you better grasp the required steps in the process. As your large intestine (the colon) is a major part of the digestive tract, any alterations to its length or other salient characteristics will impair the digestive process. Food will pass through the digestive tract faster, giving your body less time to absorb necessary nutrients, especially those that are specifically processed within the large intestine, such as fats and fiber.
Steps to a Soft Diet
Follow a three step approach to modifying your diet after colon surgery.
The American Cancer Society recommends that your first initial step after coming out of surgery should be to limit your diet to nothing but clear liquid items, bypassing a good portion of the digestive process. This is an exceptionally soft diet, including items such as juices, broth, tea, water, jello and other gelatin products, and sports drinks. After a day or two on this approach, increase the scope of your diet by adding in soft, solid foods that are exceptionally easy to digest. Examples of these types of food include crackers, white flour items (pastas, breads, rolls, and the like), lean meats, milk, ice cream, yogurt, and white rice.
After a few days to a week or so on this restricted soft diet, you may resume your ordinary eating schedule, with the caveat that some foods containing high amounts of fiber or fat might still irritate your digestive tract. Thus, be extremely cautious of foods such as broccoli, beans, and cabbage, or deep-fried or otherwise highly fatty foods. Remember to aim for a balanced nutritional approach even while eating a restricted diet, and always attempt to consume meals containing a protein source, a carbohydrate source, and some amount of healthy unsaturated fat, even while following a soft diet.
